near the place where J. L. Black's store now stands. The new buildingserved its purpose for twenty-eight years. Then another was built atCrane's Corner, on the same site as the present church.

The following extracts from the Sackville Circuit Book of 1801-1811 mayprove interesting:

"QUARTERLY MEETING."POINT DE BUTE, August 28th, 1802."(1) _Q_. Who is the general steward for the circuit? _A_. WilliamTrueman. Elected."(2) _Q_. Who is steward for Sackville? _A_. John Fawcett. Elected."(3) _Q_. Who is steward for Dorchester? _A_. John Weldon. Elected."(4) _Q_. Who is steward for Amherst and the Rivers? _A_. Thomas Roach.Elected."(5) _Q_. How shall Mr. Bennett's expenses to New York be paid? _A_.Let it be approved by the next Conference."(6) _Q_. When and where shall the next quarterly meeting be held? _A_.At W. Fawcett's, Sackville, January 9th, 1803."

"QUARTERLY MEETING."December 3rd, 1810."_Q_. Where shall a house be built for the circuit preacher? _A_. InSackville, on the lands given by C. Dixon, Esq., and John Harris."_Q_. How shall the expenses be borne? _A_. By a subscription begunfirst in Sackville."_Q_. Of what material shall the said house be built? _A_. Of brick,except the cellar wall, which shall be made of stone."_Q_. Who shall be appointed to provide stone and timber during thewinter previous to the next quarterly meeting? _A_. Charles Dixon andRich. Bowser to see it provided out of the subscription. The saidtimber to be got for a house 34 by 24."_Q_. Shall the collections made in the Stone Chapel go to thedischarging of the debt due to Mr. Trueman for the care of the saidchapel? _A_. Yes, and also to the providing of wood for said chapel."

"QUARTERLY MEETING."SACKVILLE, March 9th, 1811."_Q_. Shall the minutes of Dec. Q. M., 1810, respecting preacher'shouse be agreed to by this Q. M.? _A_. Yes, we are agreed that thehouse shall be built upon the grounds given by Messrs. Dixon andHarris."_Q_. Who shall be the trustees of the said house? _A_. John Fawcett,Jr., Chas. Dixon, Jr., Edwin Dixon, Esq., Rich. Bowser and ThomasRoach, Esq."_Q_. Who shall we employ to build the house? _A_. Chas. Dixon, Jr.,who has engaged to finish it in a workmanlike manner for L200,according to plan, N. B., 35 ft. by 24, one story and half high and ofbrick."

BAPTISTS.

In 1763 a Baptist church at Swansea, Mass., left in a body and settledin Sackville, bringing their pastor with them. They numbered thirteenmembers. Almost all of them returned to Massachusetts in 1771. TheBaptists were the first Protestant denomination in Sackville, but hadno church building until about the year 1800. That year Joseph Crandallorganized the church, and they at once proceeded to erect a building inwhich to worship. The site chosen was at the Four Corners. The churchwhich replaced this one in 1830 was called Beulah.

The first Baptist association for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia met inSackville in 1810. Sackville was represented by Elders Jos. Crandalland Jonathan Cole, and by Messrs. Wm. Lawrence and Jos. Read. Therewere twenty-two elders and messengers present, representing fourteenchurches. Amongst the representatives were Fathers Murray and Harding,and Peter Crandall, Nathan Cleveland and Elijah Estabrooks. A letterpublished in August, 1810, by Rev. David Merrill, in the AMERICANBAPTIST MAGAZINE, reports his visit to the Association, in Sackville,as a member of the Lincoln Association, Maine. He is jubilant with hopefor the new work and exclaims in triumph, "Babylon appears to be infull retreat." It is said that at a revival service in the BeulahChurch, in 1822, conducted by Fathers Crandall, Tupper and McCully,twenty-five persons were immersed in Morris's millpond. During theservice a woman stood up to exhort, handing her infant of six months toa bystander. The woman was Mrs. Tupper, and the infant the future SirCharles Tupper. This must have been Sir Charles's first appearance inpublic life.

The Baptist Church in Amherst was organized about 1810, or perhaps ayear or two earlier, by the Rev. Jos. Crandall. To the Association inSackville they sent two messengers, Thos. S. Black and Wm. Freeman,reporting a membership of fifteen. The Rev. Chas. Tupper was the firstpastor, ordained in 1817. He had charge of the church, with occasionalrelief, until 1851.

The Baptists of Westmoreland did not erect a church building until1825. The late Wm. Tingley, of Point de Bute, gave the site and alsothe largest subscription. The following clause in the subscriptionpaper is worth transcribing, as showing the liberality in religiousmatters which existed at that time. The Presbyterians of Jolicureassisted in the building, and were given "the right to hold service inproportion to the amount they subscribed, and when it is not in use byeither Baptists or Presbyterians, if wanted occasionally by otherdenominations of Christians, it shall be open and free for suchservice." Although the building was erected in 1825 there was no churchorganized until 1850.

The first minister was Rev. Willard Parker, and the deacons RufusFillimore and Henry Ward. The ministers who have been in charge fromthat date down to the present time are:

The Presbyterians were organized and had a church building in Amherstas early as 1788, but it was not until the Rev. Alexander Clarkarrived, in 1827, that they had a regular minister stationed with them.Previous to this several ministers had been with them, but only a veryshort time.

In the grant of the Cumberland township of 1763 land was given to thePresbyterian Church on which to build a manse, but there is no existingrecord to show that it was ever taken possession of by that body. Thefirst church in the township was erected in Jolicure about the year1830. The land was given by Thos. Copp, and the Brownells and Copps ofthat place were very active in the work of building. Rev. AlexanderClark, of Amherst, was the minister in charge of the congregation. Dr.Clark spent his life in preaching the Gospel to the same people and totheir children, with whom he began his mission when he first came tothe country in 1827 or 1828. His circuit extended from Maccan toPugwash, and from there along the Northumberland Straits to Shemogne,including Amherst, Jolicure, and Sackville. He was a fine type of theScotch-Irish minister, who spoke what he believed was the truth,whatever the consequence might be.

EPISCOPALIAN.

The first Episcopal Church in the Sackville Parish was built atWestcock in 1817. The rectors have been as follows:

St. Paul's Church, Sackville, was commenced in 1856, and consecrated in1858. The late Joseph F. Allison was largely instrumental in buildingthis church. As the two churches, St. Paul's and St. Ann's, Westcock,were in the same parish, they were under the charge of one rector.

CHAPTER VI

THE TRUEMANS.

WILLIAM TRUEMAN was born in Yorkshire, England, in the year 1720, andemigrated to America with his family in the year 1775. They wereprobably passengers in the ship JENNIE, Captain Foster, which came toHalifax that spring with a number of emigrants from Yorkshire. Thefamily consisted of William Trueman, his wife Ann, and their sonWilliam, an only child, a young man in his twenty-fourth year.

Billsdale* was the name of the township they left in the Old Country.They were Methodists in religion, but had been members of the EpiscopalChurch and brought with them the prayer-books and commentaries of thatcommunion.

[FOOTNOTE: *Billsdale, Westside Township, is a long moorland townshipof widely scattered houses on the west side of the Rye, extending fromsix to eight miles N. N. W. from Helmsley, and is mainly the propertyof the Earl Haversham. Its area is 4,014 acres; its land rises on loftyfells at Rydale Head. Hawnby parish includes the five townships ofHawnby, Arden, Billsdale, Westside, Dale Town, and Snillsby, the areaof the parish being 24,312 acres. END OF FOOTNOTE]

In addition to his business as a farmer, William Trueman, senior, hadtaken the legal steps necessary in England to enable him to work as ajoiner if he were so inclined. The son William had been engaged in thedry goods business a year or two before coming to Nova Scotia.

After landing at Halifax they came by schooner to Fort Cumberland, andvery soon after settled about four miles from the fort at Point deBute, then called Prospect.

There does not seem to have been many of the name left in Yorkshire atthis time, and those who were in Billsdale and vicinity shortly movedto other parts of the country. A nephew of the first William, namedHarmon, moved to another township, married, and had a family of tenchildren. Mary, Harmon's youngest daughter, married a man named Brown,and they called one of their sons Trueman Brown. Charles, a son ofTrueman, spent a year at Prospect in the eighties, and Harmon, abrother of Charles, visited the home in 1882-83. I have not been ableto trace the family in Yorkshire in any but this one branch. There is aphotograph at Prospect of John Trueman, a son of the Harmon herementioned, which shows a strong likeness to some of the family in thiscountry.

A family of Truemans living in Ontario came to Canada about the year1850, but we have not been able to trace any relationship.

The first purchase of land by the Truemans in Nova Scotia was fromJoshua Mauger. This property was conveyed to William Trueman, sen. Thedeed reads: "I, Joshua Mauger, Esq., of London, in Great Britain, Esq.member of Parliament, of the town of Poole, in the county ofDorsetshire, for and in consideration of the sum of ninety poundslawful money of the Province of Nova Scotia," etc., etc. This ninetypounds was paid for eighty acres of upland and fifty-four acres ofmarsh adjoining a wood lot on Bay Verte Road, and a right in the greatdivision of woodland, so-called. The deed was signed at Halifax by theHon. John Butler, as attorney for Joshua Mauger, on the 8th September,1777, and the money paid the same day. Thomas Scurr and J. B. Dightwere the witnesses, it was proved at Fort Cumberland on the 31st ofSept., 1777, by Thomas Scurr, and registered in New Brunswick by JamesOdell, May 3rd, 1785.

The next purchase of real estate was made from Thomas Scurr, the placenow called Prospect Farm. Six hundred and fifty pounds lawful money ofthe Province of New Brunswick was the amount paid. Between the firstand second purchase the Province had been divided, and that part of thetownship of Cumberland in which the Truemans settled had gone to NewBrunswick. The number of acres in this last purchase was estimated ateight hundred, including nearly five hundred acres of wilderness land.The deed was witnessed by Thomas Chandler and Amos Botsford. Mrs. Scurrdid not sign the deed, and the following is the copy of a documentfound very carefully laid away among the old papers at Prospect:

"VIRGINIA, PRINCESS ANN COUNTY,"June 25th, 1789."On this day personally appeared before me, Dennis Dooley, Justice ofthe Peace of the said county of the commonwealth of Virginia, ElizabethScurr, and voluntarily relinquished her right of a dower in a certaintract or piece of land in the town of Westmoreland and Province of NewBrunswick, viz.: Three eighty-acre lots, Nos. sixteen, eighteen andtwenty, with the marsh and wilderness thereto belonging. All indivision letter B, and described fully in a deed from Thomas Scurr toWilliam Trueman and on record in Westmoreland, No. 142."Given under my hand and seal this day as above."DENNIS DOOLEY."The within Elizabeth Scurr doth hereby voluntarily subscribe her nameto the within contents."ELIZABETH SCURR."

Dennis Dooley, Justice of the Peace of the commonwealth of Virginia inthe year 1789, was a good penman.

James Law owned Prospect Farm before Thomas Scurr. The deed conveyingthe property from Law to Scurr is still among the documents atProspect. As Law was early in the country after the expulsion, it isprobable he was the first to get possession after the removal of theAcadians.

Thomas Scurr, sen., left the country soon after selling Prospect Farm.The old chronicles say he was a man very much esteemed for his piety.He represented Cumberland township, for one session at least, in theLegislature at Halifax. In 1785, "in opposition to the advice of afriend against going from a place where was wanted to a place where hewas not wanted," he removed to the South, and purchased an estate nearNorfolk, Virginia. He repented too late, for nearly all the members ofhis large family fell victims to diseases peculiar to southernclimates.

There was another Thomas Scurr in the country at this time, probably ason of Thomas Scurr, sen., who married Elizabeth Cornforth, ofSackville, in August, 1787. Mrs. Scurr lived only a week after givingbirth to a son. The boy was called Benjamin, and was taken care of byhis aunt, Mrs. Jonathan Burnham. Thomas Scurr, after the death of hiswife, left Sackville with the intention of going to the West Indies,and was never heard from after. It was supposed he was lost at sea. TheScurrs in Sackville are descendants of the boy Benjamin.

William Trueman, sen., was above the average height, and rather stout,with head, shoulders and face that indicated strong character. Inpersonal appearance his grandson Robert much resembled him. He wasfifty-five years of age when he came to Nova Scotia. His wife was eightyears his senior. She, too, was tall, with a countenance showing agreat deal of reserve power.

William, the son, was a small man, with round features and dark hair.His son John was said to resemble him closely. He must have retainedhis youthful appearance well into mature life, for after he had been inthis country some years he went to Fort Lawrence to poll his vote andwas challenged for age by the opposing candidate. His youthfulappearance had led to the belief that he had not arrived at the age toentitle him to exercise the franchise. His left arm was partiallywithered, or had not grown to its full size, from an injury received inchildhood through the carelessness of a nurse. The family brought withthem from England some furniture. There is still the old arm-chair atProspect, and the old clock keeps good time for the fifth generation.

There is no record of the impression the new country made upon thefamily, but judging from a letter received by William Trueman, sen.,the year after his arrival, and copied below, it must have beenfavorable:

"SNILLSWORTH, February 9th, 1776."DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER,--"These are with our love to you and to let you know that we are in atolerable state of health at present."We have many of us been poorly, but are much better. We received aletter from you last November, which gave a great deal of satisfactionof mind on your account, because we had been informed that you hadnowhere to settle in, but as you have given us a particular accountconcerning your situation and how you were settled and that you likedNova Scotia and was all in good health of body it was much to oursatisfaction, and I hope you will let us hear more particularly fromyou how your chattle and corn answers thee, and how and what productyour ground doth bring forth, and what sort of grains your groundanswers best for, and what chattle you keep, and what you can make ofyour chattle and how much milk your cows give and what is the mostprofitable things you have."Now, dear brother, let me know the truth and nothing but the truthwhen you write."I desire that you would let me hear from you at any opportunitywhenever it suits your convenience for I think we shall never have theopportunity to see each other's face any more here below, but I desireto hear from thee and I hope thee will do the same by me as long as ourlives shall be on this side eternity."Farewell, I conclude with my love. Sarah Bently and John Bakers are ingood health and send love to you all."

The following extract from another letter received at Prospect aboutthe same time, will be interesting to some:

"SNILLSWORTH, Feb. 19th, 1776."DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER AND NEVY,--"These are salutations of love to you all, expecting they may find youin good health as they leave us at present."We received your letter November last and was glad to hear from you,but more especially that you were all in good health of body and thatyou like 'Nove' (Nova Scotia) very well because we have had many slightaccounts that you were in a very poor situation, but heard nothing toour satisfaction, and that you would have returned back to Old Englandbut had nothing to pay your passage with, which gave us both me and mywife a great deal of distraction of mind. So we consulted with sisterSarah Bently and more of our friends that we would raise money to payyour passage to Old England, but dear brother and sister, as we havehad a few lines from your own hand that you like the country well, soit has put and end to that consultation."

It would be difficult to answer at once some of the questions asked inthese letters. They had only arrived in America the previous summer,and unless thy purchased cows on their arrival, they could not at thisdate have had much experience in dairying, and it would be the samewith grain. There is a tradition that the stock, ten cows and a numberof other cattle, were purchased with the Scurr farm, but this farm wasnot bought until some years after. The Truemans probably followed thecourse taken by many of the first settlers at that time, which was tolease a farm for a term of years, in that way gaining experience in thecountry before finally purchasing land themselves. After the family hadbeen two years in the country, William Trueman, jun., married ElizabethKeillor, a daughter of Thomas Keillor, of Cumberland Point, or No. 1,now called Fowler's Hill. The Keillors came from Skelton, Yorkshire, toNova Scotia in 1774, and settled on the farm at present occupied by agreat-great-grandson, Charles Fowler.

It was near the date of this marriage that the Eddy rebels wereterrorizing the settlers around Fort Cumberland, and shortly after theevent Mr. and Mrs. Trueman went to Mr. Keillor's to spend the Sabbath.During the day the house was surrounded by the rebels, and the inmateskept prisoners until the next day, when the rebels dispersed, and theyoung couple made their way home as quickly as possible, to relieve theanxiety at Prospect.

The Keillors and Truemans had been friends in England, and were relatedin some degree. Elizabeth Keillor was but nineteen when she consentedto take charge of a home of her own, and, as subsequent years proved,well did she discharge the duties that devolved upon her in thatrelationship. Though below medium size, she had a nervous force andwill-power that enabled her to accomplish more than many of strongerbuild. It is told of her that on a Sabbath, when the family were all atchurch, she noticed something wrong with the cattle, and on going tosee what caused the trouble, she found a cow so badly injured by someof the larger animals, that to make the carcass of any value it wouldhave to be slaughtered at once. Mrs. Trueman went to the house, got thebutcher-knife, and bled the cow to death.

Nervous force, like any other force in man or woman, has its limit, andif used too fast it will not be there when wanted in old age. Mrs.Trueman did not live to be very old, and her last years were full ofsuffering. Overtaxed nature had given way, and the penalty had to bepaid.

The family never separated, but all moved into the house on the Scurrfarm, and began in earnest to face the battle of life in the New World.

Halifax was at that time the market for butter and beef, so after thewants of the settlers and the commissariat at Fort Cumberland had beensupplied, such produce as could be sent by schooners to Halifax wasforwarded in that way, and the cattle, for beef, were driven overland--a long and tedious journey.

Mills for sawing lumber or making flour were scarce. The stones are yetto be seen in Sackville with which grain was ground by hand-power.

The Truemans soon began to experiment in mill building. Their firstventure was a mill driven by horse-power. A windmill followed, and waslocated on the high ground at the corner where the Point de Bute roadturns at right angles, leading to Jolicure. This must have been anideal spot for such a structure. There is no record of how long thismill stood, but it could not have been long.

There was a good stream on the farm for a water-mill, but it was notutilized for this purpose for some years, probably for the want ofmeans. Their first work in this line was the building of a small millon the brook that formed the ravine at the south-west side of the farm.A dam was thrown across the stream at the head of the ravine, and thewater carried in a flume some distance farther down the brook; thegreat fall of water enabling them to use a large over-shot water-wheel.It is only quite recently that the main shaft of the wheel hasdisappeared.

A long dam was built across the stream that leads to what is now calledthe Upper Mill, for the purpose of turning the water to the new mill,and also forming a reserve pond. This dam can be plainly seen at thepresent time, although covered with quite a growth of timber. The millin the ravine did not stand long either, and the next move was to damthe water on the main brook, now called the Trueman Mill Stream, andput up a large and substantial grist-mill, that proved a greatconvenience to the whole country for many years.

Beside this large expenditure in mills, most of which was made in thelifetime of the senior William, there was a large outlay made fordyking and aboideau building. Piece by piece the marsh was beingreclaimed from the tide and made to yield its wealth of hay and pasturefor the support of flocks and herds.

I find a record showing there were seventeen cows on the farm in 1790,and for the benefit of some of the members of the younger generationwho live on farms, here are their names: Cerloo, Red-heifer, Spotty,Debro, Beauty, Madge, Lucy, Daisy, White-face, Mousie, Dun, Rose, LadyCherry, Black-eye, Spunk and Roan.

The following letter, received at Prospect in 1789, tells of a morecheerful spirit in business in England, but shows that they had floodsand troubles of that kind then as now:

"HELM HOUSE BILSDALE, Augt. ye 15th, 1789."DEAR COUSINS,--"I received two letters from you in the course of the last year, and amexceeding glad to hear from you and that you do well and are well, andtho I have long delayed writing yet it is not want of respect, but itwas long before I could have any certain inteligence from Mr. Swinburn,So I now take the oppertunity to let you know how I and my Sisters aresituate. I married Helling the daughter of Richard Barr, by whom I havehad 3 boys and 2 girls all liveing and healthfull. Aylsy is married toJohn the son of James Boyes and lives at Woolhousecroft, has nochildren. Sally is married to John Cossins and lives at Hawnby whereRobt. Barker lived. She has 3 children the two last were twins theywere born about Candlemas last and one of them is a very weakly child,my mother is married to old Rich'd Barr my wife's father and lives atHuntington nigh York. I think we most of us live pretty well. Mr. -----has advanced his land a great deal but since the peace the times arepretty good we have this summer a very plentiful crop and we have afine season for Reaping the same, but in the beginning of haytime wehad an excessive flood as almost ever was known so that much hay wasswept away and much more sanded. Many bridges were washed down and insome places much chattle drowned. My cousin John Garbut is married toJames Boyes' widow and lives at Helm house. So I shall conclude with myand my wife's duty to my unkle and aunt and our kind love to you andyour wife and children and subscribe ourselves your very affectionatecousins,"JOHN AND HELLING TRUEMAN."

There was no break in the family by death until 1797. That year WilliamTrueman, sen., died, aged seventy-seven years, twenty-two of which hehad spent in America. The Mauger farm, his first purchase, was left toHarmon, his eldest grandson. The family of his son William had grown bythis time to six sons and two daughters, and success financially, insome measure at least, had been achieved.

With milling, dyking and general farming, there was work at Prospect tokeep all the members of the family busy, besides a large force of hiredhelp.

It was decided this year (1797) to build a new house and barn, and thesite fixed upon was about one hundred yards south of the Scurr house,where they had lived since the place came into their possession. Thebarn was put up the next year, and measured eighty feet long by thirty-three wide, with thirteen foot posts. A part of this barn is still usedfor a stable. In 1799 the house was built, the main portion being madeof brick burned on the marsh near by. It fronted due south, and wastwenty-seven feet by thirty-seven feet, and two stories high, with astone kitchen on the west side. The cost of building was eight hundredpounds. This was before the days of stoves, there being six fire-placesin the main house and large one in the kitchen.

In 1839 the stone kitchen was pulled down and one of wood built on thenorth side. In 1879 an addition was made, and now (October 2nd, 1900),it is as comfortable a dwelling as it has ever been. Five generationshave lived in it. Three generations have been born and grown to manhoodand womanhood within its four walls, and they have never known thedeath of a child, nor, with but one exception, the death of a youngperson.

On the 29th January, 1800, Mrs. Trueman, sen., died in the eighty-eighth year of her age. Although sixty-two years old when she came toAmerica, she lived to see the birth of nine grandchildren.

In 1801, Thompson, the youngest son, was born. The family now numberedseven sons and three daughters. This year William Black, known inMethodist history as Bishop Black, was one of the family at Prospectfrom November 17th, 1801, to April 13th, 1802. One week of this timewas spent in Dorchester, for which a rebate was made in the board bill.The bill was made out at the rate of five shillings per week.

In 1802, Mr. Trueman began to keep what he calls "a memorandum ofevents." The records chiefly refer to home work, the weather andneighborhood happenings. As a record of the weather, beforethermometers and barometers were in general use, it must be as perfectas possible. As a record of farm work it is quite minute, and gives thereader an almost exact knowledge of what was done on the farm each weekof the twenty years.

To those who live in the age of steam and electricity, when it ispossible to be informed at night of the doings of the day on the otherside of the planet, it is hard to realize how little interest was takena century ago in anything outside of the community in which one lived.This accounts in part, no doubt, for the scant references in thisjournal to public events. Only very rarely is an election mentioned,even in the writer's own county. Only once is there reference to war,although the war of 1812 and the battle of Waterloo took place duringthe years of the record, and must have had a marked effect upon thetrade of the Provinces at that time.

Mr. Trueman made several trips to Halifax each year, and met, whilethere, many of the leading Methodist men of the city. The Blacks andthe Bells were his friends. His house was the home of the ministers ofhis church during all his life, and many of the public men who visitedCumberland were his guests at different times.

The first entry in the journal is dated May 5th, 1802, and reads: "windN.W.; cold stormy day. Planted some apple trees; frost not out of theground.

"July 5th--This day was appointed by the Government as a day ofthanksgiving for the blessings of peace. Mr. Bennet preached at AmherstCourt House, from Psalm 12, 1st verse, to a crowded and very attentiveaudience.

"July 12th--Started for Halifax with thirty oxen. Returned on the 22nd;had a very good time."

(Ten days was the usual time taken on these trips. The drovers wouldstart some hours, or perhaps a day, in advance of Mr. Trueman. He wouldgo on horse-back, in knee breeches, and with the old fashioned saddle-bags.)

These extracts from the journal will show the character of the record.

In March, 1804, there was a three days' snowstorm--"fell nigh twofeet." An attempt was made this year to aboideau the Aulac River, whereit runs through the farm now owned by R. T. McLeod.

The Aulac at that time was one of the largest of the rivers emptyinginto the Cumberland Basin. It was a great undertaking to dam its waterswith an aboideau, and to make matters worse, the place chosen proved tohave a quicksand bottom, which made it almost impossible to build afirm foundation. For nearly four years they worked at this aboideau,and finally had to abandon it. Dated Dec. 27th, 1808, there is thisentry in the journal: "Working at the aboideau. Storming in themorning. Snow six inches deep.

"Dec. 28th--Working at byto; very fine day. The hole nigh filled up."

On March 20th, he writes: "Concluded to give up the Byto." There is areckless disregard of rules in spelling the word "aboideau," butdoubtless the pronunciation was as varied then as now. Being obliged tolet this work go must have been a great disappointment and a great lossas well. It was not till 1829, more than twenty years after, that theaboideau, now known as the "Trueman Byto," was built.

A night's experience during the building of the first aboideau was longremembered by the family at Prospect. The following is the onlyreference made to it in the journal: "June 7th, 1804--The sluice wentadrift; was up to Nappan." On the 9th: "Got back as far as Cumberland;wind favorable in coming back."

The sluice referred to is a large wooden box or waterway, which isplaced near the centre of the aboideau and as near as possible in thebed of the river. The great height of the tides, and the rapid currentthat runs up and down the stream twice in twenty-four hours, make it amost difficult operation to get one of these sluices bedded. The sluicewould be about fifty feet long, fifteen feet wide, and five or six feetdeep.

The men were hard at work after the sluice had been got into its place,trying to make it secure with the weight of mud, but the tide comingtoo quick for them lifted it out of its bed. Four of the Trueman boyssprang on the sluice as it floated down the river, in the hope ofsaving it in some way. It proved, however, to be a most unmanageablecraft, and they could do little to stay their course down the river,and in spite of every effort were carried out into the Basin. Nightcame on and their only chance of safety was, if possible, to stick tothe plank box in the hope that the currents might carry them to somepoint where they could get safely to shore. Next day their unwieldycraft grounded near Nappan, and they at once landed and were hospitablyentertained at a farm-house near by. After getting supplies and sendingword to Prospect of their safety, they again boarded their strangevessel and succeeded that day in getting back to the mouth of theriver, and finally back to their starting point.

Mrs. Trueman never wholly recovered from the nervous shock of thatnight. There was little hope in the minds of any that the men wouldever get safely to land.

Thirty years had passed since the family had left England. The lettergiven below shows how warm an interest the friends there still had inthem:

"DEAR COUSIN,--We received yours dated Jan. 15, but not till late inSeptember, 1804, and we are glad to hear that you and your family areall in good health and enjoying prosperity in your affairs of life. Wehad heard by your last letter of the death of your mother. My kindhusband died something more than six years since. Your Aunt SarahBently died some time before my husband. Your Aunt Mary Flintoft is yetalive and enjoys as good health as can be expected, her age considered.Your Aunt Ann Trueman is yet alive and well as can be expected. YourCousin Harmon married and is doing very well. He lives at Kelshaw, inthe west of Yorkshire, and has a large family and keeps a public house.Alice is married and lives at Woodhouse Croft and has only one son. Annand Sarah both live at Hornby and enjoy good health. I and my eightchildren live yet at the old habitation, namely at Helmhouse, and enjoya sufficiency of the necessaries of life. Jane Chapman and Ann are bothalive and enjoy as good health as most people at almost 80 years ofage, and desire their kind love to you and your wife. James Hewgill andwife do the same. They never had any children. The last summer's cropof corn was poorly laden, so that wheat is now from ten to fifteenshillings per bushel, and is like to be more, as war being carried onmakes taxes very high; but still, thanks to a kind Providence,industrious people may yet live above want. And soon shall all worldlycalamities be over, and then if we are prepared for death we shall knowwoes and calamities no more. Pray write again when opportunity serves."I remain your very loving cousin,"ELINOR TRUEMAN."Helmhouse, Billsdale."March 7th, 1805."

The first marriage in the family at Prospect was in July, 1805. Theentry in the journal is: "Thomas and Mary were married by Rev. Mr.Perkins." Mr. Perkins was a minister of the Episcopal Church.

In 1806 I find this entry: "Mr. Bamford preached in the Stone Church,and Mr. Perkins administered the sacrament." This must have been beforethe Methodist minister was allowed to administer the sacrament.

Mr. Trueman was evidently mistaken in the name of Thomas's wife. Hecalls her Mary. Her name was Policene Gore; but as she was alwayscalled Polly, the mistake no doubt occurred in that way.

From a letter received from Rev. Wm. Black at this time, the followingextract is taken:

"I give you joy on the marriage of your son Thomas, and as I hear Johnis on the point of being married, too, I also wish you the sameblessing on him. It would afford me much joy to hear that all yourchildren were made acquainted with the saving benefits of religion. Forparents to see their children well settled in this world and seekingthe world to come must, I apprehend, be an unspeakable satisfaction.Oh, let us pray more and advise them to turn to the Lord with all theirhearts."Please to remember me kindly to all the family. I do feel a sincereregard for you all and wish to meet you in the Land of God."Farewell,"From your unworthy friend,"WM. BLACK."

Policene Gore's mother had a more than ordinarily eventful life. Hergrandson Edward writes:

"My grandmother was born in the United States, then the New Englandcolonies. Her first husband was Captain Ward; their home was near thegarrison on Grattan Heights. Captain Ward arrived home from sea withhis vessel the day before Arnold made his attack on the garrison, and,joining in the defence, was fatally shot. Mrs. Ward's next husband wasmy grandfather Gore, who was also a sea-captain. Some years after theywere married Captain Gore took his wife to Fort Lawrence, Nova Scotia,where they had friends, and her husband returned with his vessel tomake another voyage, but was never heard from after. It was supposedthe vessel was lost with all on board."

After living some years in widowhood, Mrs. Gore married a Mr. Foster, aschool-teacher. They lived for a time in a house on the school lands inJolicure. The schoolmaster did not live long to enjoy his married life.His successor was a Mr. Trites, of Salisbury. He only lived a fewmonths after marriage. Mrs. Trites' fifth and last husband was a Mr.Siddall, of Westmoreland Point. After his death Mrs. Siddall lived withher daughter, Mrs. Trueman, where, in the words of her grandson, "shelived eighteen years, a happy old woman and a blessing in the family."She was in her eighty-fourth year at the time of her death.

Mrs. Siddall's house was the only one in the village not burned duringthe battle of Grattan's Heights. It is still kept in repair, and calledthe Gore House. Harmon, a grandson, visited the Heights a few yearsago, and was present at the one-hundredth anniversary of the battle.Recently a letter came into the possession of Edward Trueman, writtenby his great-grandmother to his grandmother. Among other things, shewrites: "I hear that you are married again, and that Policene is alsomarried. I have not heard either of yours husbands' names; do write,and let me know them."

Policene Gore was born in 1788, and Thomas Trueman in 1786, which wouldmake them seventeen and nineteen years old when the marriage knot wastied--a young couple to start out in life.

John married Nancy Palmer, September 12th, 1805, William married JaneRipley, January 22nd, 1806, and Harmon, the first-born, married CynthiaBent, June 8th, 1807. The four eldest sons were married within the yearand a half, and on April 14th, 1808, Sallie, the eldest daughter,entered the matrimonial haven. This was thinning out the old homepretty fast. The sons, however, all settled near Prospect, and wereseveral years getting finally located in their own homes. Harmon tookthe Mauger farm left him by his grandfather; Thomas, the Patten farm,joining the glebe. John settled at Mount Whatley; Willie took the millproperty and farm now in possession of his grandsons, Amos and JohnstonTrueman.

The drain on the home place to start for themselves so many of thefamily, and in so short a time, must have been considerable. Harmon hada house, and barn to build. Several entries in the journal refer to hisgetting out timber. On July 16th, 1806, Harmon raised his house. Thishouse, yet one of the most comfortable in the place, is at present theproperty of A. C. Carter. Mrs. Carter is a granddaughter of Harmon.

April 22nd, 1806, I find this entry: "Robert Dickey and Nellie Chapmanmarried. Started to frame the new mill."

"May 3rd--Saw mill and barn raised."

No mention is made of building a house for Willie, so probably therewas one on the place. John and his wife lived for a time in the Scurrhouse, and for a time with Willie, before finally settling at MountWhatley. Sallie married Gilbert Lawrence, of Westmoreland. It is saidSallie had an admirer who lived in Halifax, and occasionally visitedCumberland, and who in later years became a prominent official in theexecutive of that city.

In the early days and admirer a hundred miles distant was at a greatdisadvantage, and the "Fooler lad," as Sallie's mother called youngLawrence, won the prize.

Amos Fowler, of Westmoreland, or Fowler's Hill, married Miss Keillor, asister of Mrs. Trueman. He was a Loyalist, and after living in thiscountry some years, he visited the old home in New England, and on hisreturn to New Brunswick brought with him his nephew, Gilbert Lawrence.After his marriage Gilbert settled at Amherst Point, and from theremoved to Maccan, now called Southampton, where he was a very successfulfarmer for many years. He left the Maccan farm to a son a few yearsbefore his death, and bought a farm in Nappan. Here he spent the lastyears of his life, honored and respected for his sterling character.

CHAPTER VII

EXTRACTS FROM JOURNAL AND LETTERS.

Some extracts from the journal as a beginning to this chapter will, Ihope, be interesting to some of the descendants:

"Aug. 2nd, 1802--Richard Lowerison's barn burned."Aug. 7th--Mr. Milledge preached at church. Got upland hay all up.Have 60 tons good hay in barn and in stock."Aug. 28th--Quarterly meeting at our house."Sept. 10th--Mr. Albro dined at our house." (Mr. Albro was a Halifaxman who traded in cattle.)"Dec. 28--John McCormick, apparently in good health, died instantly atnight."May 10th--Mr. Marsden started to-day for the Conference."June 26th--Mr. Bent arrived at our house to-day and went over toTantramar."June 27th--Mr. Bent preached his first sermon in Tantramar."May 3rd, 1803--William Bennet started for Conference."Dec.--Mrs. McMonagle's house was drawn from the plain toMount Whatley."Jan. 9th, 1806--W. Wood Fillmore was married to Nancy Patterson, ofCole's Island."April 5th, 1806--Tolar Thompson brought a large birch log across themarsh on the ice, and also a load of grain to the mill and returned thenext day."June 16th--Harmon had the old shop drawn to his house, had 17 yoke ofoxen."William Allen was buried at the churchyard at Camp Hill, attended by alarge concourse of people. Mr. Mitchell preached the sermon."Nov. 29th--Mr. Roach lost his vessel; the Capt. and two men weredrowned; 515 firkins of butter saved."Jan. 12th, 1806--This day Wm. McKenzie was found dead, sitting in hischair, supposed to be frozen to death."June 3rd, 1808--Wm. Black came to our house and Mrs. Black and son,Martin Gay. Mr. Black preached at Stone Chapel.

In February of same year, "Mr. Foster came to mill in a cart and JohnPatterson from Cole's Island with a sled.""Jan. 19th, 1808--Mr. Bamford moved to our house."Jan. 25th--A meeting to confer about the Byto*; nothing was done.""Jan. 3rd, 1809--Martin Black married to Fanny Smith."

[FOOTNOTE: *This, I suppose, was the aboideau that had to be abandoned,to which reference has been made. END OF FOOTNOTE]

On the 8th of that month "William Black preached at Sackville, and onthe 11th at Mr. Roach's in Lawrence; on the 16th William Black startedfor Halifax.""Feb. 23rd, 1809--Went to the Supreme Court."Feb. 29th, 1810--Mrs. Roach, of Fort Lawrence, died to-day after ashort sickness. Rev. Mr. Knowlton preached the funeral sermon fromPsalms; a very solemn time; about five hundred people present."In June, 1811, Robert Bryce purchased a lot of cattle and some butterin Cumberland."June 28th--Went to Bay Verte with a drove of cattle and some sheep,put 32 cattle and 116 sheep on board vessel for Newfoundland."July 8th--Started ten oxen for Halifax. John Trueman raising his houseand barn, July 6th, 1811."July 24th--Pulled the old mill down. A son of John Harper's was badlyhurt at the mill brook."

I notice in the journal that "muster day" was in Sackville this year.It seems to have been a very prosperous year for the farmers ofCumberland. Shipments of cattle and sheep were made to Newfoundland andthe usual supply sent to Halifax. The price paid must have beensatisfactory; it would, at any rate, be so considered by our farmersnow.

The following letter sent to Messrs. Reed and Albro, dated Sept. 6th,1811, gives one an idea of the condition of the cattle trade at thattime:

"WESTMORELAND, Sept. 6th, 1811."MESS. REED & ALBRO."Sir,--Recd. Your letter by Thomas Roach, Esq., respecting cattle; havebeen looking around for some cattle, cannot buy for less than 6d.(10c.). Mr. -----, of Westmoreland, has some good cattle unsold atpresent. If you wish me to purchase you some cattle you may depend onmy doing the best in my power for you. Wishing your answer as soon aspossible, as the good cattle may be picked up. I wish you would send methe weights of the different lots of Beeves. I cannot settle with thepeople I purchased from for want of the weights. Have given two draftson you, one on Saml. Holsted for L200, payable on the 20th July, andone on A. Fowler for L100, payable on the 28th July."You will oblige me much by calling on Wm. Allan and take up a mortgagedeed belonging to Thomas King, of Westmoreland."There is, he thinks, about L50 or a little more due on it. Send it tome and I shall get the money paid me on sight, as I want a letter. Andin so doing you will much"Oblige your well wisher,"WM. TRUEMAN."P.S.--Thomas Roach, Esq., will furnish you with ten cattle at 6d,delivered in Halifax. If you accept his offer, send a boy to Windsor tomeet the cattle. Please to write the first opportunity and inform mewhat I shall do. Do you want a few firkins of butter this fall? I havegiven Harmon Trueman an order on you bearing date of 7th Sept."I am your humble servant,"WM. TRUEMAN."

The following letter, a copy of which is among the papers at Prospect,also adds some information about trade at that time:

"WESTMORELAND, March 7th, 1812."MR. JOHN ALBRO:"Dear Sir,--I hope these lines will find you and Mrs. Albro and familyenjoying health and every other blessing. I take this opportunity toinform you that I expect to have 12 or 14 oxen to dispose of thissummer. I wish you to have the preference. If you wish to have themshall be glad to have a line from you by Mr. Gore, as also what youthink the price will be."I want no more than the market price."Remain your humble servant,"WM. TRUEMAN."N.B.--John Keillor, Esq., hath four good oxen he wishes you to havewith mine. They are four fine oxen. They are likely to be good by July15th."

In addition to the buyers from Halifax, Newfoundland was this yearsending to Westmoreland for a part of its beef supply. The letter belowrefers to the trade with that colony:

"WESTMORELAND, 30 Oct., 1811."MESSRS. JOHN & ROBERT BRYNE,--"I sent you a few lines Sept. 4th. Thinking it a chance whether youreceived it or no, I take the liberty to send you a second. I think itwill be a great advantage to you to have some hay purchased and drawnto the place in winter."If you wish to have any purchased I will do it for you, only let meknow the quantity you wish to have. Cattle have been as low as 4 penceor 5 pence in the spring. It is uncertain what the price may be, but Isee no prospect of them being very high, as there is great plenty ofcattle in the country. Should you want any in the spring you can relyon my doing the best in my power to serve you."Remain your most humble servant,"WM. TRUEMAN."

Mr. Bryne had been in Westmoreland that summer and purchased a drove ofcattle and sheep, which were shipped on June 28th, as noted previously.

On April 25th, 1811, Mrs. Keillor, Mrs. Trueman's mother, who had beenliving at Prospect since 1806, died. Her husband, Thomas Keillor, astonemason by trade, died some years earlier. There is at Prospect acopy of a power of attorney given by Mrs. Keillor to her "trustyfriend," Stephen Emmerson, to act for her in collecting rents andselling claims in Skelton, England, in connection with the propertyowned by her late husband.

This document was copied by Amos Botsford and witnessed by Wm. Botsfordand Henry Chapman, jun., and dated Oct. 30th, 1810.

Mrs. Keillor was buried on the old farm at Fowler's Hill beside herhusband in a small burying-ground that was formerly surrounded by astone wall, part of which is still standing.

Mrs. Keillor's maiden name was Mary Thomson. She and two other marriedsisters--Jane, the wife of John Carter, and Ann, the wife of WilliamTrueman--came with the Yorkshire emigration. These sisters left onebrother at least in England, as the letter following, in reply to onereceived from George Thomson, will show:

"PROSPECT, March 29th, 1811."DEAR UNCLE AND AUNT,--Received your welcome letter of March 29th, andwas glad to hear from you and of your wellfare, and hoping these lineswill find you and yours enjoying the same blessings of health andhappiness."I have to tell you of the death of my mother-in-law. She departed thislife April 22nd. Your sister Jane is very well at present."The rest of your family are all well. If you see fit to come out inthe spring your friends will be glad to see you. It will be best foryou to get a lumber vessel if you can. There hath been two vessels fromHull and one from Newcastle this summer. Respecting goods andmerchandise, lay in well for common clothing. Bring some home-madelinens and checks. Ox-chains and horse-traces and bridles. Everythingin wood will be expensive."You ask what bills I propose. Good bills on Halifax answer, butnothing will answer like cash here, as it may be some trouble to getthem cashed. Mechanics of all kinds are wanted. Carpenters, 7 shillings6 pence per day. We pay 4s. and 4s. 6d. for making a pair of shoes. Agood tailor is much wanted. We pay 6s. for shoeing a horse. Bring a fewscythes of the best quality. Baie Verte is the best place to land at;if you cannot make that out, St. John or Halifax. There may be somedifficulty in getting a passage from Halifax by water. Shall look outfor a place for you with a house on it."May the Lord direct you and prosper your undertaking. Give my bestrespects to George Swinburne and wife. Let him know my wife and my tenchildren and myself are well."I have nothing more at present to write. May the Lord direct you inall your ways, so prays your affectionate nephew and niece,"WM. AND ELIZABETH TRUEMAN."

Mr. George Thompson did not emigrate to Nova Scotia as he expected whenhe wrote to his uncle and aunt. The following letter, written by hisson five years later, explains why:

"DURHAM, Sept., 1816."DEAR COUSINS,--You probably would think it very strange our notwriting to you for so long a time, but I can assure you it was not forwant of affection or respect, but merely inadvertence; and no doubt youwould think it strange, after my father wrote to inform you he intendedsetting out for America, that he never went, but the principal reasonwas that on second consideration he thought himself too far advanced inyears to undertake so long a voyage, and the rest of the family exceptmyself were not very willing. Consequently he immediately after thattook a large farm, which I had principally to manage, otherwise I wouldhave gone at that time. However, it is my wish to set out next spring,and have not written to inform you it, in order that I may have youranswer before that, stating all particulars of the country, and ifthere be a good prospect for me. There is also an acquaintance of mine,a threshing machine maker and cartwright, has a desire to accompany me;therefore be so good as to say what prospect there is for such a man ashe is."All my brothers and sisters are married and settled, and my father andmother are very well and now live by themselves, retired from farming."Hoping you and all friends are well, I shall conclude with kindestlove to all,"And remain, dear cousin,"Yours affectionately,"GEORGE THOMPSON."P.S.--Have the goodness to write the first opportunity, and direct tome at"Harbour House,"Durham."

It is quite possible the above letter did not receive a reply. A gooddeal of trouble had been taken to send full information to the father,and five years were allowed to pass before any acknowledgement wasmade. At all events, there is no record of a letter being sent to theson, and it is certain he did not come to this country.

The subjoined communication helps to show the depressed condition inEngland at that period, and that many were looking to America in thehope of bettering their condition:

"May 14th, 1819."DEAR COUSIN,--I hope these lines will find you all well, as they us atpresent. We thank God for it."I intend to come over to America this spring If it should please God,For the state of England are very bad, Land has got so very dear that alivelihood cannot be got in England, and the taxes that Government layson are very heavy, till they reduce so many to a lower class that theland will hardly support the poor. I hope you are in a better situationin America."We understand in England that the States of America are veryflourishing at present. I intend to set off to America the first ofJune. If it should please God that I should get over safe, I hope toget to your house as soon as I can. All your cousins are in good healthat present. Thank God for it, and they wish to be remembered to you andall your family."So I remain your most obedient cousin,"JAMES BOYES,"of Bilsdale."N.B.--By the wishes of one of your cousins, of the name of HarmanWedgwood, a son of Benjamin Wedgwood, a tailor, he would like to hearfrom you. He thinks you will give him some information of your country."He wants to come to live in your country, and if you please to givehim some intelligence of tailors' wages in your country."So he remains your most obedient cousin."HARMAN WEDGWOOD,"Hawnby.""N.B.--If you please to write to him you must direct as follows:"'HARMAN WEDGWOOD,"'Hawnby,"'Near Helmsley, Blackmoor,"'Yorkshire, England.'"

There was no change in the family at Prospect after Sallie's marriagein 1808 until 1817. On Jan. 17th of the latter year Robert marriedEunice Bent, of Fort Lawrence, a sister of Harmon's wife, and inOctober Amos married Susanna Ripley, a sister of Willie's wife.

Robert settled on a farm adjoining the homestead. His house was notbuilt until the summer following his marriage. James, his eldest child,was born 30th October, 1817, in the Brick House at Prospect Farm. Amossettled at the head of Amherst (now called Truemanville). The followingletter, written by his youngest daughter, Mrs. Sarah Patterson, is veryinteresting, as giving some idea of the experiences of that time:

"When my father first came to live in the place now called Truemanvilleit was a dense forest. In summer the only road was a bridle path. Inwinter, when the snow was on the ground, they could drive a pair ofoxen and a sled along the road."The winter my father was married, as soon as there was enough snow andfrost, he and one of his brothers and another man set out to build ahouse."They loaded a sled with boards, doors and windows, and providedthemselves with bedding and provisions to last till the house wasfinished. They then hitched the oxen to the sled and started on theirtwenty-mile journey and most of the way on a trackless path."When they arrived at their journey's end, they erected a rude hut tolive in and commenced building a house. They did not have to go far fortimber--it was standing all around the site chosen for the house."They built a very nice log house, 15 ft. by 18 ft. Their greatesttrouble in building was, the stones were so frosty they could not splitthem. They had to kindle a huge fire of brushwood and warm the stonesthrough, when they split finely."After they had built the house they returned home, having been absentabout three weeks."My father and mother then moved to their new home, and father began tobuild a saw mill and grist mill."Their nearest neighbors were one and a half miles distant, unless wecount the bears and foxes, and they were far too sociable for anythinglike comfort. Sheep and cattle had to be folded every night for someyears."After father had built his grist mill he used to keep quite a numberof hogs. In the fall of the year, when the beechnuts began to drop, themen used to drive them into the woods, where they would live and growfat on the nuts. One evening when my mother was returning from a visitto one of the neighbors she heard a terrible squealing in the woods.She at once suspected that bruin designed to dine off one of the hogs.She hastened home to summon the men to the rescue, but darkness comingon they had to give up the chase. However, bruin did not get any porkthat night; the music was too much for him, and piggie escaped withsome bad scratches."A short time after this, ominous squeaks were heard from the woods.The men armed themselves with pitchforks and ran to the rescue. Whatshould they meet but one of my uncles coming with an ox-cart. Thewooden axles had got very dry on the long, rough road, and as theyneared my father's the sound as the wheels turned resembled veryclosely that made by a hog under the paws of bruin."Imagine the way of travelling in those days! I have heard my fathersay there were only two carriages between Point de Bute andTruemanville. Their principal mode of travel was on horseback. Myfather and mother visited Grandfather Trueman's with their threechildren. Mother took the youngest on one horse, and father took thetwo older ones on another horse; and yet we often hear people talk ofthe 'good old times.'"My father was a man of generous disposition. The poor and needy alwaysfound him ready to sympathize and help them. He often supplied grain tothem when there was no prospect of payment. He would say, 'A farmer cando without many things, but not without seed grain.' That reminds me ofan incident I will tell you, of our Grandfather Trueman. About thirty-five years ago my mother was visiting at Stephen Oxley's, at Tidnish,where she met an old lady whose name I forget; but no matter. When sheheard my mother's name she began talking about Grandfather Trueman. Shesaid she would never forget his kindness to her in her younger dayswhen she and her husband first came from the Old Country and began lifeamong strangers in very straightened circumstances. After passingthrough a hard winter in which food had been very scarce they foundthemselves in the spring without any seed wheat or the means of buyingany."Her husband was almost in despair. She tried to cheer him up bytelling him that if she went to Mr. Trueman she thought he would helpthem. So her husband agreed to let her try her chance, and she mounteda horse and set out for Prospect Farm. Just as she arrived thereanother woman came in and asked Mr. Trueman to sell her some wheat,telling him she had money to pay for it. Grandfather said he had verylittle wheat to sell but he could let her have a bushel or two. The oldlady said her heart almost sank within her; she thought her case washopeless. However, she told him she, too, had come for seed wheat, butshe had no money nor the means of getting any at present, and they wereentirely without seed. Grandfather turned to the other woman and said,'You have money' go to Mr.----- (a neighbor), you can get as much asyou want, and I will give this woman the grain.' Oh, how glad shefelt! Words were too poor to express her thanks, and she went homerejoicing. In after years, when Providence had favored her with agoodly share of this world's goods, she could not tell this experiencewithout the tears running down her cheeks. How true it is, 'The memoryof the just is blessed.'"

The following letter received from a son of Rev. William Black, is ofsome interest:

"HALIFAX, N.S.,"27th Sept. 1819."MR. WILLIAM TRUEMAN,"DEAR SIR,--Your favor of the 20th inst. is at hand, and in reply toit, as relates to the probable price of Butter, I would state it as myopinion that it is likely to command about 14d. A considerable quantityof Irish Butter has already arrived and more is expected. A number offirkins have this day been sold at public auction at 1s. per lb.,--thequality is said to be very fair. Please say to Mrs. Wells that I havereceived her letter of the 24th inst., and shall do as she requests.Mrs. Black and family are well, and join me in best regards to Mrs.Trueman, Yourself and Family."Yrs. Truly,"M. G. BLACK."

After Amos and Robert left Prospect for homes of their own, the familyremained unchanged until 1820. That year, Mary, the second daughter,married William Humphrey, of Sackville. William Humphrey was acarpenter by trade but shortly after his marriage bought a farm inUpper Maccan and went quite extensively into farming and milling.

The Humphreys were from Yorkshire, and after coming to America, settledfirst at Falmouth, Nova Scotia. After the death of Wm. Humphrey, sen.,Mrs. Humphrey, following the advice of her friend, Charles Dixon, movedto Sackville with her family of five children, three sons and twodaughters. James Dixon says of Mrs. Humphrey, in his history of theDixons: "She was evidently a capable woman," and judging from theposition her descendants have taken in the new country he was probablyright in his estimate.

As I remember the second William Humphrey, he was a man of more thanordinary intelligence, one who looked closely at both sides of aquestion, and with whom every new undertaking was well thought outbeforehand. He had no place for the man who wanted to make a show. Hewas, for the times, a large employer of labor, and his men did notreadily leave his employ. He was possessed of strong religiousconvictions, but was by no means demonstrative in such matters. Hischildren were given good educational opportunities. Two of his sonsstudied and graduated at colleges in the United States, and two otherswere students at the old Academy, at Sackville.

The following letter, written by William, one of the sons who waseducated in the United States, to his cousin Ruth, will show howgraduates of that day looked upon life:

"NEW HAVEN, June 27th, 1853."DEAR COUSIN,"Your very welcome letter came to hand in due time, for which I amexceedingly obliged, especially as many of my correspondents have beendilatory and others have given me up altogether. But they probably haveas much reason to complain of me as I have of them. The truth is mystudies so occupy my attention that I am too much inclined to forget myfriends. The acquisition of a profession presents such an immensity oflabor that it would seem to require a lifetime to become proficient,especially when the small amount of energy that I can command isbrought to bear upon it. However, I am not disposed to find fault withthe labor so long as there is so much that is intensely interesting andI can make respectable progress towards the grand crisis of a student'slife."New Haven is equally as attractive as it was during my college lifeand I feel more at home here than in any other place in the UnitedStates during the present summer so far. I have become acquainted withthe professional men of the city from whom I have received many favorsand many of whom I hope to regard as my future friends. Through theirinfluence I have had an opportunity of treating a number of patients,which is no small advantage to me in my studies. I confess I am so muchattached to the city I should like to make it my home if it werepracticable, but it is so much crowded with physicians that there is noroom for me. In reply to your question as to what pleasure it affordedme to receive my diploma, I can very readily say that it was far fromaffording me anything like a thrill of pleasure to look back upon myacquirements. I rather felt as a tired traveller might be supposed tofeel when, having exerted himself to reach the top of the first peak ona mountain, he has only secured a position where he can see Alpinepeaks towering to the skies, which he must scale before his journey isended. I very many times have felt as though I was not a particle wisersince I graduated than before I first left home, yet I suppose I mayclaim more than this for myself without being thought vain or arrogant,but what advantage either myself or others are to reap from it remainsto be seen. I hope I am better prepared to spend the remainder of mylife more profitably than I was before, with higher aims and inpossession of greater capacity for enjoyment myself and of doing goodto others. I cannot yet tell when I shall get my medical degree, yet iffortune favors and I get along with my studies pretty well, it will notbe longer than fourteen months. I would like to arrange my plans toleave for home as soon as I get through, but it is so long beforehandthat I do not think about it yet."I shall have a short vacation of a few weeks, commencing with August1st, when I should like to be at home, but I do not deem it best for meto go this summer. I shall probably go into the country 'round. I shallprobably return to Philadelphia early in October and spend the winterthere, which will end my residence in that city, unless I should remainlonger to attend the hospital and see more practice than I couldotherwise."From the accounts I hear from home you still have need of doctors, forpeople continue to be sick and die."Think you there will be any patronage for me? But your answer willprobably depend upon my worthiness of it."But I must hasten to close. I shall be happy to hear from you wheneveryou are disposed to write."Kind regards to your mother, sisters and brothers."Very sincerely yours,"WILLIAM F. HUMPHREY."To:"MISS RUTH TRUEMAN,"Point de Bute."

The Humphreys have not increased rapidly in this country. There werethree brothers in the first family, William, John and Christopher. Johnnever married. Christopher married, but had no family. William had foursons, and these, with their father and uncles, made seven of the namethen living in the provinces. Since then these four boys have married,and two of their sons, yet the males of the name just number sevento-day; and, strange to say, have remained at that figure the most ofthe time for the last seventy years. At present there are living fourgreat-grandsons, and three great-great-grandsons of the first William.

Dr. Humphrey graduated in regular course, received his medical degree,and settled in St. John, New Brunswick, where he worked up a goodpractice. His health, however, gave way, and he died a comparativelyyoung man.

Mrs. Bishop, a daughter of William Humphrey, writes:--

"I do not remember hearing my parents say much about their early life.I remember my father saying he gave a doubloon to the man who marriedthem. They moved to Maccan very shortly after they were married. Whengrandmother Humphrey died they went to the funeral on horseback (thirtymiles), and took John with them, then a young babe. (The baby, John,was the late John A. Humphrey, of Moncton.) I have heard mother sayshe took me to her father's funeral when I was four months old, anotherlong ride on horseback."

Mrs. Bishop is the only one of the family now living.

Returning to the family at Prospect, Betty, the youngest daughter, wasmarried to George Glendenning, in 1823. Her name was to have beenElizabeth, but one day previous to the baptism the minister was at thehouse and asked Mrs. Trueman what baby's name was to be. She said, "Oh,I suppose it will be Betty," meaning to have her baptized Elizabeth,but to call her Betty for short. When the minister came to thebaptism, he did not ask the name, but baptized the baby Betty. Themother did not feel very well pleased about it, but Betty it had to be.

George Glendenning, George Moffat and George Dickson, threeDumfrieshire farmers, came to America in the spring of 1820. They hadtalked the matter over during the long evenings of the previous winter,and finally determined to try their fortunes in the New World.

The agricultural distress that prevailed in Ireland at that timeaffected Scotland also, and the wages of farm laborers was only ashilling a day in harvest time. No doubt the love of adventure and adesire to see more of world also had something to do with the decisionof the young men. Passages were secured on the ship ABIONA, bound forMiramichi, at which port the young men were safely landed early in May.John Steele was also a passenger in this vessel. He went to Cumberlandand settled on the gulf shore near Wallace. Rev. Dr. Steele, ofAmherst, is a grandson of John Steele. George Moffat also went toCumberland, and settled at River Hebert. Beside managing a farm he dida large business in sending beef cattle to the Halifax market. Mr.Moffat was a fine, honest man, "a canny Scot," who was always as goodas his word and expected others to be the same.

George Glendenning had a brother living in St. John, and after landingat Miramichi he went direct to that place, where he had a short visit.There was not much in the surroundings of St. John that was attractiveto the eye of a Scotch farmer, so the young emigrant decided to tryanother locality. He turned his steps toward "Old Chignecto," a long,hard walk. He made several attempts to get work on the way, alwayswithout success. At a farmhouse in Dorchester he might have gotemployment, but did not like the appearance of things about the place.Before leaving Dorchester he had become much discouraged, andremembering his early training in a godly house, determined to askdirection and guidance from his Heavenly Father. And so, falling on hisknees, he prayed that he might be directed in his way so that byanother night he might find a place where work could be had. After thisearnest prayer he started out with more heart, but in the long walkthrough the Dorchester woods to Sackville, then on the "Four Corners,"no work was found, and so the marsh was crossed and Prospect Farm wasreached just as it began to grow dark. He would try his fortune here.An old man answered his knock at the door and bade him, "Come in," butin answer to his request for work said, "No, I do not want a man, butyou had better not go any further to-night; we will keep you here." Inthe morning the proprietor of Prospect reversed his decision of thenight before and decided to give the young Scotchman a trial. Theresult was that he remained with the family for three years, and whenhe left took with him as his wife the youngest daughter.

Mr. Glendenning settled on a new farm in Amherst Head (nowTruemanville), and soon became one of the most successful farmers ofthe district. John Glendenning, of Amherst, is his son, and Rev. GeorgeGlendenning, of Halifax, N.S., and Robert Glendenning, M.D., of Mass.,U.S., are his grandsons.

CHAPTER VIII

PROSPECT FARM.

Thompson Trueman, the youngest member of the family, was married inMarch, 1823, to Mary Freeze. He was only twenty-two years old, andyoung looking for that age. He used to say in later life that hemarried at just the right time. His wife was a daughter of SamuelFreeze, of Upper Sussex, King's County. Her mother was Margaret Wells,daughter of Williams Wells, of Point de Bute.

The Freezes came from Yorkshire to Cumberland in the DUKE OF YORK, thefirst vessel that landed Yorkshire emigrants at Halifax. Charles Dixon,the founder of the Dixon name in Sackville, with his family, came outat this time. The Freeze family, when they arrived in Nova Scotia,consisted of William Freeze, sen., his son William, with his wife andtwo children. Wm. Freeze, sen., remained in this country only a shorttime. It was supposed the vessel in which he took passage for Englandwas lost, as his family never heard of him again.

The son, William, was a mason by trade, but settled on a farm inAmherst Point, now occupied by the Keillor brothers. He remained inCumberland until the first of the present century, and then removed toSussex, King's Country, N.B. He had become rather discouraged in hisefforts to reclaim the salt marsh, and came to the conclusion that itwould never be of much value.

It is said that Mr. Freeze and his two sons started in a small boat forKentucky. When they got as far as the mouth of the Petitcodiac River,they turned their boat up the stream, going with the tide to the headof the river. Leaving the boat, they plunged into the forest andtramped for some distance. At last they concluded they had lost theirway and were not likely to reach Kentucky on that route. After someconsultation, the father climbed to the top of a tall tree, and fromthis altitude the rich interval lands of the Upper Kennebecasis werefull in view.

"There is a valley," said Mr. Freeze, "and there is where my bones areto be laid."

Here Mr. Freeze got a grant of nine hundred acres of land, enough tomake farms for himself and his four sons. William, a son, was a greatreader and student. He was very fond of mathematics, and it is saidthat sometimes when he and his boys would go to the field to hoe, hewould take a stick and mark on the ground a mathematical figure, andthen demonstrate it for the benefit of his boys. The dinner horn wouldsound, and no potatoes had been hoed that morning. John, another son,was a fine singer and took great pleasure in giving singing lessons tothe young people in the neighborhood. The Freezes could all sing, andmost of the men were handy with the mason's tools, which led some wagto say that the Freezes were all born with stone hammers in one handand a note-book in the other. Charles, the fourth son, was a half-brother and inherited the home farm. Charles was a great reader andwas very fond of history. He was eccentric in some ways and would takelong journeys on foot.

He did not take kindly to railway travel, and his nephews liked to tellabout his planning one day to go by rail instead of walking, but goingto the station before the train arrived, he said he "couldn't bedetained" and started away on foot.

There were two daughters. Miriam married Matthew Fenwick, of Maccan,N.S., who afterward moved to the Millstream, in King's County, and wasthe first to plant the Fenwick name in that county.

Mary was the wife of Thomas Black, of Amherst (brother of BishopBlack). They had a large family. The youngest son, Rev. A. B. Black,died in 1900. The history of the Blacks in this country was written byCyrus, another member of the family.

Samuel, the eldest son of William Freeze, was married three times, andhad a family of twenty-one children--seven by his first wife, MargaretWells, of Point de Bute; eight by his second wife, Bethia Wager, ofDutch Valley; and six by his third wife, a Miss Scott of Petitcodiac.The first family were all daughters. The tenth child was the first sonborn. Mr. Freeze elected several times to represent King's County inthe Legislature at Fredericton, and while attending to his duties therehe was taken with the illness that ended in his death.

The following letter is among the old papers at the Prospect, writtenby Samuel Freeze shortly after Polly's marriage:

"SUSSEX, KING'S COUNTY,"February 25th, 1824."DEAR SON AND DAUGHTER,--"I received yours, favored by Mr. Stockton, and am happy to hear thatyou are all well, with a small exception, such as human nature issubject to.

"I am sorry to hear that the crop of hay has failed so much the lastseason, which must be a great injury to that part of the country. Ibelieve that we will make out with what hay we have. You speak ofdriving oxen to St. John. The southerly weather that we had about the12th of this month has raised the water and ice to such an unusualheight that it has swept almost all the publick bridges downstream inthis parish, which cuts off our communication from St. John by sleighor sled, in a great measure, or I would have written the butcher, andthen could have probably given you a satisfactory answer; but it is notthe case.

"Mr. R. Stockton informs me that you can get 4 1/2d. at your own barn.I think that, as the road is, you had better sell them for the 4 1/2per lb., than to risk the St. John market, as there is but very littleshipping in at present, and they get what they want from a lessdistance, and the butchers will take every advantage if they have notbeen contracted for. This is my opinion, but do as you think proper.

"I have set my hands to get out some timber this winter. I think about150 tons of yellow pine and 50 of hackmatack, if the sledding continuesthree weeks longer. My crop of grain on my new farm did not answer myexpectations, a great part of it was struck with the rust. I suppose Iwill get on the whole 16 acres something more than 100 bushels ofgrain, viz., wheat, buckwheat and rye. I have since exchanged it for anold farm (and pay 170 pounds) situate one mile below Matthew Fenwick's,formerly owned by Benj. Kierstead. It cuts 30 tons of English hay. Thebuildings are in tolerable repair. Susan Freeze talks of coming to seeyou shortly. Through the mercy of God I and wife and family are all aswell as common.

"Dear children, from your loving father.

"SAMUEL FREEZE."

"MR. THOMPSON TRUEMAN,Westmoreland:

"You will please accept of our love and impart it to our children andfriends.

"If, hereafter, you have beef to sell, and wish to take advantage ofthe St. John market, let me know, and I will get a butcher's letterwhat he will do, and if that suits, you can drive your cattle, but Idid not get your letter in time to get an answer and send it back toyou by the first of March."S. F."

A son of Samuel Freeze was sheriff of the county of King's, N.B., for aquarter of a century, and a grandson is at present acting as deputysheriff in that county.

Polly Freeze left her home in Sussex to take care of her grandmother inPoint de Bute, and was married there. She had visited her before,making the journey of eighty miles on horseback, in company with afriend. A great part of the way was through the woods, with no road buta bridle-path for the horses.

Thompson brought his bride to Prospect on the 11th of March, 1823. Themarriage certificate reads:

"I hereby certify that Thompson Trueman, Bachelor, and Mary Freeze,Spinster, both of Point de Bute, co'ty of Westmoreland, were married bylicense this eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord, onethousand eight hundred and twenty-three by me,

"CHRIS'N MILNER,Missionary at Sackville.

"In the presence of:"JOSEPH AVARD,"WM. TRUEMAN."

Rev. Mr. Bamford was the Methodist minister on the Sackville Circuit,which also included Point de Bute, but a Methodist minister had not theright, at that time, to solemnize marriage. In 1822, the year beforeThompson was married, a Methodist minister, writing of the Truemanfamily, says:

"It consists of an old gentleman, his wife and ten children, eight ofwhom are married, making twenty souls. Of this number only two are notmembers of Society, and they live so far from the means that theycannot attend. Eighteen of the family, and for anything that can beseen to the contrary, the whole family, are doing well, both as to thisworld and that which is to come. Nearly all those who are in ourSociety meet in one class at their parents', who are just totteringinto the grave ripe for eternity, and they have lately subscribed onehundred and fifty pounds towards the erection of a chapel in theirneighborhood."

This chapel was erected that year, and used for a place of worship till1881, when it was superseded by the present church, built at Point deBute Corner in that year.

I find the following entry in the journal, dated Oct. 2nd, 1820:"Picking apples; had twenty-one grandchildren to dinner; picked about100 bushels; very dry weather." The last entry is dated June 21st,1824: "Apples trees in full bloom; fine growing weather."

The date when the apples trees were in bloom was scarcely ever omittedin the twenty years' record, and it varied from the fourth of June tothe twenty-first, which was the extreme limit. There is scarcely anychange noticeable in the handwriting from the first entry to the last,and he would be seventy-two years of age when the last entry was made.

On April 22nd, 1825, Mrs. Trueman died, in the sixty-eighth year of herage. She had lived to see all of her ten children married and the birthof more than a score of grandchildren. The last years of her life wereyears of suffering. Her husband outlived her a year and a half, passingaway on the 9th September, 1826, in his seventy-fifth year. WilliamTrueman and Charles Oulton, of Jolicure, died at nearly the same hour,and both were laid away in the old burying-ground at Point-de-Bute.

Prospect Farm was left to Thompson. He has been managing it for someyears, and the business was settled without much trouble. Little changewas necessary, as all the other members of the family has been providedfor. There were legacies to pay, of course. Ruth and Albert, Thompson'stwo eldest children, were born before their grandfather's death.

The routine life at Prospect for the next ten or twelve years waswithout much change. Two sons and two daughters were added to thefamily. There was sickness, but the doctor's visits were not frequent.Mr. Trueman suffered at times from acute rheumatism, often so severecould not turn himself in bed.

In 1829 another attempt was made to aboideau the Aulac River, and thistime it was successful. What proved good ground was found less than ahalf mile below the place chosen in 1805. Work to the amount of L 1,09615s. 6d. in the construction of this aboideau is credited to thefollowing persons. I do not know that this is the full cost of thework.

This aboideau was superseded in 1840 by the Etter aboideau, which wasthrown across the Aulac about two miles nearer the mouth of the river. This latter work was very expense to maintain. The foundation in oneplace seemed to be resting on quicksand, and was constantly settling. In 1860 it was decided to abandon the structure and build a new oneabout two hundred yards higher up the river. Two years were taken tofinish the new work, and in the meantime the old aboideau was kept inrepair, which gave much better facilities for working at the new one.

When the Eastern Extension Railroad was constructed, a right of way wassecured by the company over the new aboideau, and later, when the roadcame into the hands of the Dominion Government, an arrangement was madewith the commissioners of the aboideau for maintaining the work thathas proved very satisfactory to both the owners of the marsh and theGovernment.

In the decade between 1830 and 1840 the price of farm produce haddropped very much below what it was in the earlier years of thecentury. I find Hugh Hamel bought at Prospect 559 lbs. of butter for9d., or 15c., per lb., and 1,198 lbs. of cheese for 6d., or 10c. Thenext year, 1834, a sale of cattle was made to George Oulton for 4d. perlb., weight estimated. In 1811 the same description of beef brought tencents.

In 1839 Rev. Mr. Bennet was for some months member of the home atProspect, and later Rev. Mr. Douglas and Mrs. Douglas and Rev. Mr.Barrett spent some time here in the order of their occupancy of thePoint de Bute Circuit.

In 1840 an influenza, much like la grippe, passed through the countryand caused a great many deaths. The family at Prospect were nearly alldown with it at once, but all recovered.

The saddest visitation that ever came to this home was in the year1845. On the evening of the 28th July death came a sudden andunexpected guest. The day had been fine, and farm work was going on asusual. Mr. Trueman had been at the grist mill all day. The family hadgathered for supper, and a horse stood saddled at the door. There wasto be a trustee meeting at the church that evening, and Mr. Trueman wason of its members. Supper over, he mounted his horse to ride to thechurch. Ten minutes had not passed when the horse was seen without arider, and Mr. Trueman was found a short distance from the house, wherehe had fallen, to all appearance, dead. He was quickly carried in andmedical aid summoned, but all was of no avail. It was a heavy blow.Mrs. Trueman could not look upon life the same afterwards, and shenever recovered from the great sorrow. There were seven children, theeldest, Ruth, twenty-one years of age, and the youngest, Mary, eighteenmonths.

Thompson Trueman was in his forty-fifth year. He was a heavy man, quitedifferent in build from his brothers. The writer was but eight yearsold at that time, and so has learned about him mainly from others. Heseems to have made a great many friends, and was looked upon as anupright man. One who knew him well said, when he heard of his death,this passage of Scripture came to his mind: "Help, Lord, for the godlyman ceaseth, and the faithful fail from among the children of men."

The years that followed were trying ones at Prospect. The blight thatruined the potato crop in 1846, and the loss of the wheat crop a fewyears later by the weavil, were felt more keenly because of the loss ofthe controlling mind. To give an idea of the financial loss, I maymention the fact that in 1843 two thousand bushels of potatoes weregrown on the farm, and in 1847 not enough were grown to supply thetable. In addition to the great failure in these two staple crops, atthat time the price of beef, pork and butter went down to a very lowpoint. A pair of oxen that would girth from six to six and a half feetcould be bought for forty-five or fifty dollars. Pork went down to 4and 4 1/2 cents per lb., and butter to 12 1/2 cents, or a Yorkshilling. In one of the best settlements in Nova Scotia a majority ofthe farms were mortgaged to carry their owners over these hard years.Those who remember the period in New Brunswick history will not beinclined to complain to-day.

Samuel Davis, with the help of Mrs. Trueman, managed Prospect Farmuntil the sons were able to take charge. Mr. Davis was a most faithfuland kind-hearted man, and is remembered with the liveliest feelings ofgratitude by the writer for the numberless ways in which he tried tomake up to him a father's loss.

It is doubtful if the saw-mill, which was built in 1843, was ever apaying investment.

In 1849 a stone kiln and machinery for making oatmeal were added to themill property. The loss of the wheat crop had lead the Government ofthe Province to encourage the use of oatmeal by offering a bonus ofL 25 to anyone who would build an oat-mill. This led to the addition,and oats were made into meal for a large district of country for a goodmany years; but the expense of keeping the dam up, and the frequencywith which it was carried away by the freshets, must have absorbed mostof the profits of the business.

Up to this time agriculture had been the principal industry on theIsthmus. The farmer was the prominent man in the neighborhood, and theaim of every young man was to get a farm of his own. Now, however,there came a change. In 1848 gold was discovered in California, and in1849 and the early 50's numbers of our young men left for the gold-fields. Then came the telegraph service, which called for bright,intelligent young men. Ever since that date agriculture has declinedrelatively in the Maritime Provinces. As the years went by the productsof the western wheat-fields came into competition with the home-grownarticle, and the result was soon felt in the milling business here.Since 1872 the grist-mill at Prospect, with its three run of stones,and the saw-mill as well, have been allowed to go to decay.

In 1856 Hiram Thompson married Tryphena Black, of Prince Edward Island,and settled on the second farm north of the old place. Later he soldthis farm and moved to Searletown, Prince Edward Island. In 1857,Eliza, the second daughter, married William Avard, of Shemogue.

In 1860, April 11th, Mrs. Trueman died, in the sixty-second year of herage, and after fifteen years of widowhood. She had a large circle offriends, and was always ready to help those who were in need. After herhusband's death she kept up the family altar, and few mothers have beenmore earnest in looking after the moral and spiritual welfare of theirchildren.

In 1863, Howard, the third son, married Agnes Johnstone, of Napan,Miramichi, and remained at the old home. In January, 1864, Margaret,the third daughter, was married to George M. Black, of Dorchester. Thesame year, in May, Mrs. Howard Trueman died. In July, 1867, Howardmarried Mary Jean Main, of Kingston, Kent County, daughter of JohnMain, of that place. Mary, the youngest daughter, was married toWilliam Prescott, of Bay Verte, in 1873.

The following minutes of a meeting held at Prospect January 4th, 1875,will be of interest:

"The meeting was organized by the appointment of David Lawrence asChairman, and Howard Trueman as Secretary.

"The chairman stated the object of the meeting was to take steps tocelebrate in some fitting way the arrival of the first Trueman familyin Nova Scotia, which took place just a hundred years ago.

"On motion of S. B. Trueman, seconded by Edward Trueman, Resolved, thatthere be a gathering of the Trueman descendants at the old homesteadsometime during the summer of 1875.

"Moved by John A. Humphrey, and seconded by Martin Trueman, andcarried, that a committee be appointed to carry out the aboveresolution, said committee to consist of representatives from eachbranch of the family.

"It was also decided to number the descendants and have written out ashort history or genealogy of the family; also to place a marblemonument to make the last resting-place of those who first came toAmerica."

The celebration was held at Prospect Farm on the 14th July, 1875, andtook the form of an all-day picnic. A programme was given, consistingof music and addresses. The invitations were not confined to theimmediate connection. Friends of the family were included. It wasestimated that about five hundred were present, many coming from widelydifferent points. The social intercourse was greatly enjoyed, and waslooked upon as one of the best features of the reunion.

The following census of the family to day (1875) was given out at thatMeeting:

So much was this celebration enjoyed that the decision was quiteunanimous that a similar reunion should be held at a future time. Thiswas kept in mind, and in 1891, seventeen years afterwards, invitationswere sent from Prospect for another gathering of the clan. This time,however, the scope of the celebration was extended. The HistoricalSociety of Sackville was associated in the event, and all were welcomewho cared to be present.

This gathering was called the Yorkshire Picnic, and anyone of Yorkshireblood was especially welcome. An effort was made to get the names ofall visitors recorded, but it was not entirely successful. About threehundred, however, wrote their names below the following, written byJudge Morse.

"Visitors to Prospect Farm, July 14th, 1891, on the occasion of thereunion of the Trueman family, combined with a picnic of the HistoricalSociety of Sackville, in commemoration of the coming into the countryof the Yorkshire settlers,

"WILLIAM A. D. MORSE,"Judge County Court,"Nova Scotia."

The following is a report of that gathering as given in the ChignectoPOST at that time:

"On Tuesday last, in response to invitations, upwards of five hundredpersons gathered at Prospect Farm, Point de Bute, the residence ofMessrs. Howard and Albert Trueman, to commemorate the arrival of theYorkshire settlers in this country. The descendants of the Yorkshiremenhad invited the Chignecto Historical Society, recently formed, to bepresent, and the formal proceedings of the day were under the auspicesof the latter.

"After dinner, Judge Morse, as president of the Historical Society, ina neat speech spoke of the objects of the Chignecto Historical Society.It was their desire to find out who were the early settlers, and wherethey came from, and to collect all valuable information concerning theearly history of this vicinity. He was pleased to see so manydescendants of the original settlers of our country present, and seeamong them the most prosperous of our people. Mr. W. C. Milner,Secretary of the Society, then read an interesting paper on theexpedition from New England to capture Fort Cumberland in 1776, underthe command of Col. Eddy, and the influences that led to its defeat,notably the firm stand taken by the Yorkshire Royalists against thetroops of the Continental Congress, and in favor of the Mother Land andthe Old Flag. A good many facts connected with this episode in localhistory, which has been instrumental in shaping the destiny of theProvince of New Brunswick, were for the first time made public. As itwill be published in full in an early issue of the POST, together withother papers of the Chignecto Historical Society, it is unnecessary toreproduce it now.

"Judge Morse delivered an interesting address upon the Yorkshiresettlers. The condition of our country in 1763 was one of constantstrife between the French on the one side and the English on the other.But in 1763 the latter were victorious, the French driven back, and thecountry then thrown open for settlement by the English. In 1764Governor Franklyn proposed to settle the very fertile land at the headof the Bay of Fundy with the proper class, and after somecorrespondence with Earl Hillsboro, Lord of the Plantations in England,he paid a personal visit to Yorkshire, where lived the thriftiestfarmers in all England, induced in 1772-3-4 a large number of familiesto try their fortunes in the New World. In April and May the firstarrivals landed on the bleak and rocky coast near Halifax, andsurrounded as they were with every discomfort, it was no wonder thatthey felt discouraged. With their wives the men passed on to Windsor,where they first got a glimpse of the budding orchards left by theFrench settlers. Here a division was made in the party. The women andchildren were sent to the head of the Bay by a series of ferries, andthe men pushed on to Annapolis, and later joined their families atChignecto. To the pluck, loyalty, and industry of the YorkshiremenJudge Morse paid many a tribute. To them do we owe our presentconnection with the Mother Country. When this country from north tosouth was rent by the rebellion, when the rivers ran blood, and whenthe prestige of English arms in Northern America seemed to totter, itwas the Yorkshire immigrants who remained firm, and although compelledto suffer untold hardships and privations, yet they remained loyal tothat old flag, whose folds he was pleased to see floating in the breezeto-day. The speaker gave fully in detail various particulars of thesettlement, of the persons interested, and the location of severalimportant landmarks. The Yorkshiremen have done three great acts: Theymade the country; they preserved the flag; and they, through theefforts of Preacher Black, founded in this country the principles ofMethodism, which has made such steady progress, and which has been theprominent religion for over a century. He closed by asking all who hadany historical relics in their possession to communicate with theofficers of the society, and allow them to inspect such. Judge Morsewas followed by Mr. A. B. Black, Amherst; J. L. Black, Sackville; W. C.Milner, and the host of the day, Mr. Howard Trueman, who spoke upon thevaluable features of the Historical Society.

"The house at Prospect Farm is one of the oldest in the Province,having been completed on June 14th, 1799."

The following is an account of the one hundredth anniversary of the"Brick House," taken from the Moncton TIMES of July, 1899:

"On Friday, Prospect Farm, the residence of Howard Trueman, Esq., theold Trueman homestead at Point de Bute, was the scene of an anniversarythat called together representatives of the various branches of theTrueman family that came to this country in 1775. The centenary oftheir settlement here was celebrated by a big picnic twenty-four yearsago, and the present one was connected with the building of the oldhouse one hundred years ago--a fine English house built of brick andovergrown with ivy and climbing rose. The site is one of the mostcommanding and beautiful in the country, and is justly a spot cherishedby all the Truemans with pride and affection.

"The afternoon was charming, though threatening, and the numerousgathering, old and young, male and female, enjoyed themselves to theutmost.

"The oldest member of the family present was the venerable MartinTrueman, of Point de Bute, aged eight-four years, still hale andvigorous, and enjoying life as well as the youngest. The next oldestwas Thompson Trueman, of Sackville, father of Mrs. (Senator) Wood, agedeighty-three, also a very vigorous man. Within a few weeks Mr. JosephTrueman, also of the same generation, the father of Judge Trueman, ofSt. John, has passed to his rest. Mr. Henry Trueman, father of Mrs.James Colpitts, was prevented by the infirmities of age from beingpresent. Amongst others of the same generation were Mrs. Eunice Moore,of Moncton, and Mrs. Amelia Black, of Truro, N.S. Others belonging tothe older generation were James Trueman, of Hampton; Alder Trueman, ofSackville, and Benjamin Trueman of Point de Bute.

"A platform was erected under the shade of the vine-covered walls, andinteresting speeches made. Dr. Chapman presided. In his introductoryremarks he said he was pleased with his Yorkshire descent, and was verysorry that Mr. Batty, who was to tell sometime of Yorkshire at thepresent day, was not present. Mr. Howard Trueman, who was then calledupon, told something of the settlement of the Truemans, the building ofthe house, the clock two hundred years old that was still keeping goodtime, the chair that came out from England with the family, and thebench there on the platform that came from the first Methodist churchbuilt in Canada, a stone church that stood by the Point de ButeCemetery.